The 5th
annual Door Wars at Maryland
International Raceway was set to be
an event to be remembered for years
to come. With amazing weather
conditions and the caliber of talent
on hand, it was for certain track
records were in danger of being
broken. However, no one in
attendance could have imagined that
the Outlaw 10.5, Outlaw Drag Radial
and X275 records would see numbers
that are unheard of.

BILLY GORDON
OUTLAW 10.5 WINNER

Outlaw
10.5 brought out some heavy hitters
like former World Cup Finals winner
Michael Martin, Richard Sexton,
David Hance and Mo Hall. One of the
highlights of the weekend was Mike
Decker Jr running a track record of
4.098, but right as the car went
through the finish line, fire broke
out underneath the body and engine
bay of his Camaro. Before he could
get the car stopped, the veteran MIR
Safety and Medical crew was already
to the car putting the fire out.
Decker escaped uninjured, but with
the car unable to cross the scales,
the run was disallowed, giving the
official track record to Hance at
4.124. Harry Jarvis came out of
nowhere and shocked the world with a
new track record speed at a huge
198.32. The final round gave us
Richard Sexton and Billy Gordon.
Gordon was considered the underdog
up against the giant killer Sexton,
but Sexton blew the tires off at the
hit and Billy Gordon cruised to the
win.

BILL DUTKA
OUTLAW DRAG RADIAL WINNER

Outlaw
Drag Radial was having their second
points race of the season. Running
in different conditions from their
normal Friday night program, all
drivers were up to the task. Francis
Johnson and Ricky Fox were in the
middle of a tight points battle as
these two have dominated the class
at MIR the past 3 seasons. It was
veteran Frank Soldridge who rotated
the earth with a new track ET record
of 4.283, but unable to turn it into
a victory as he was ousted in the
2nd round. The final gave us Johnson
and Wild Bill Dutka in his 1979
Chevy Malibu. They left side by side
from the line, but Dutka pulled away
from the 2010 track champion and
picked up his first MIR win with a
4.553.

DEAN MARINIS
X275 WINNER

X275
brought out more heavy hitters as
Chris Little, the 2012 track
champion, looked to extend his
points lead as he welcomed all
challengers. Chad Branson’s record
of 4.657 at 155.27 was smashed to
pieces by former track record holder
Dean Marinis, by running an amazing
4.583 at 156.81. Marinis was able to
double up with the win as well, as
the New York based driver defeated
Rich Bruder in the final round in an
amazing side by side war.

TODD GEISLER
ULTRA STREET WINNER

Ultra
Street, considered by many to be an
“entry level” radial class proved
that they are anything but entry
level. With close side by side
racing all weekend, blowing past
last year’s numbers in terms of
performance and car count. The final
brought us the number 1 qualifier
Todd Geisler in his Chevy Malibu and
number 2 qualifier John Keesey in
his Ford Mustang. In classic Door
Wars fashion, they left the line
together and were side by side all
the way down the track, until the
Chevy of Geisler got the victory
with a 5.065 to Keesey’s 5.158.
Geisler in the winner circle said he
wanted to give props to Keesey for
giving him a race he’ll remember
forever. He also wanted to thank
Royce and Jason Miller and their
team of officials and safety
personnel for a first class facility
and track to race on. It gave him
and and his fellow racers weekends
they will carry with them for the
rest of their lives.

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